Betty White (1922-2021)

[domino harvey]

Betty White at 99

[Brian C]

Damn, only a couple weeks shy of 100, too.

[Matt]

I’m sad to say I had a feeling this was coming, too. People magazine has been hubristically touting its “Betty White Turns 100!” cover story for the January 10 issue, and I thought, well there is no better way to ensure her death before her 100th birthday than that. Very on-brand of 2021 to snatch away America’s grandma on the final day of the year.

[fiendishthingy]

That also makes her the fourth Mary Tyler Moore Show cast member to die this year, following Cloris Leachman in January, Gavin MacLeod in May and Ed Asner in August.

[PillowRock]

That’s one that will warrant a late adjustment to the TCM Remembers video, even if she was more known for TV than movies.

[colinr0380]

That’s one that will warrant a late adjustment to the TCM Remembers video, even if she was more known for TV than movies.

Do we forget so soon the 'badass Betty White' late 90s period when she appeared against type in both Hard Rain and Lake Placid?

[PillowRock]

That’s one that will warrant a late adjustment to the TCM Remembers video, even if she was more known for TV than movies.

Do we forget so soon the 'badass Betty White' late 90s period when she appeared against type in both Hard Rain and Lake Placid?

I said that White was known more for TV, not only for TV - and I stand by that. The same thing was true of Gavin McCloud, and he already was in the TCM Remembers video.

In addition to the hit sitcoms in which she was a regular (and many guest appearances in other scripted series), Betty White also came up with some great lines ad-libbing on Match Game in the 70s.

[hearthesilence]

I’m sad to say I had a feeling this was coming, too. People magazine has been hubristically touting its “Betty White Turns 100!” cover story for the January 10 issue, and I thought, well there is no better way to ensure her death before her 100th birthday than that. Very on-brand of 2021 to snatch away America’s grandma on the final day of the year.

IIRC George Burns planned a special gig for his 100th birthday and when asked about it, he repeated a variation of a joke he frequently said when he got really old: "How can I die? I'm booked." And he made it with a month and a half to spare.

EDIT: Sort of. I looked it up and turns out he couldn't go through with his 100th birthday celebration:

When Burns was 96, he had signed a lifetime contract with Caesars Palace in Las Vegas to perform stand-up comedy there, which included the guarantee of a show on his centenary, January 20, 1996. When that day actually came, however, he was too weak to deliver the planned performance. He released a statement joking how he would love for his 100th birthday to have "a night with Sharon Stone."